Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Usage:The term "deceive" refers to the act of causing someone to believe something that is not true, typically in order to gain some personal advantage. In the biblical context, deception is often associated with sin, falsehood, and the work of Satan, who is described as the father of lies (
John 8:44).
Biblical Instances and Themes:1.
The Deception of Eve: The first instance of deception in the Bible occurs in the Garden of Eden. The serpent, identified as Satan, deceives Eve by questioning God's command and suggesting that disobedience would lead to enlightenment rather than death.
Genesis 3:13 records Eve's acknowledgment: "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
2.
Jacob and Esau: Deception plays a significant role in the account of Jacob and Esau. Jacob deceives his father Isaac to receive the blessing meant for Esau. This act of deception leads to significant familial strife and is a pivotal moment in the narrative of the Israelites (Genesis 27).
3.
Laban's Deception: Jacob himself becomes a victim of deception when Laban, his uncle, tricks him into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, for whom he had worked seven years. This account highlights the cyclical nature of deceit and its consequences (
Genesis 29:25).
4.
False Prophets and Teachers: The Bible warns against false prophets and teachers who deceive people by distorting the truth. In
Matthew 24:24 , Jesus warns, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible."
5.
Ananias and Sapphira: In the New Testament, Ananias and Sapphira attempt to deceive the early church by lying about the proceeds from the sale of their property. Their deception is met with immediate divine judgment, underscoring the seriousness of deceit within the Christian community (
Acts 5:1-11).
6.
Satan as the Deceiver:Revelation 12:9 describes Satan as "the great dragon... who deceives the whole world." This highlights the pervasive nature of deception as a tool of the enemy to lead people away from the truth of God.
7.
Self-Deception: The Bible also addresses the concept of self-deception.
James 1:22 advises believers, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves." This emphasizes the importance of aligning one's actions with God's word to avoid self-deception.
Moral and Theological Implications:Deception is consistently portrayed as contrary to the nature of God, who is truth (
John 14:6). It is a tool of the enemy to disrupt the relationship between God and humanity. Believers are called to live in truth and integrity, reflecting the character of Christ. The Bible encourages discernment and vigilance against deception, urging believers to test all things and hold fast to what is good (
1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Related Concepts:·
Truth: The antithesis of deception, truth is a central theme in Scripture, representing the nature of God and the foundation of the Christian faith.
·
Integrity: Living a life of honesty and moral uprightness, as opposed to deceitfulness.
·
Discernment: The ability to judge well, especially in distinguishing truth from falsehood.
Conclusion:While deception is a recurring theme in the Bible, believers are called to reject deceit and embrace truth, reflecting the character of God in their lives.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To mislead; to cause to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true; to impose upon; to mislead; to cheat; to disappoint; to delude; to ensnare.
2. (v. t.) To beguile; to amuse, so as to divert the attention; to while away; to take away as if by deception.
3. (v. t.) To deprive by fraud or stealth; to defraud.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DECEIVABLENESS; DECEIVEde-sev'-a-b'-l-nes, de-sev' (nasha', "to lead astray"): "The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee" (Jeremiah 49:16), i.e. "Thy stern mountain fastnesses have persuaded thee that thou art impregnable." InJeremiah 20:7, "O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived," pathah, signifies "to be enticed," "persuaded," as in the American Standard Revised Version and the Revised Version, margin.
In the Old Testament most often, and in the New Testament regularly, the various words rendered in the King James Version "deceive" denote some deliberate misleading in the moral or spiritual realm. False prophets (Jeremiah 29:8), false teachers (Ephesians 5:6) and Satan himself (Revelation 12:9) are deceivers in this sense. In the gospels, the King James Version "deceive" (planao, 9 timesMatthew 24:4, 5 parallelMark 13:5, 6 parallelLuke 21:8Matthew 24:11, 24John 7:12, 47) becomes in the Revised Version (British and American) "lead astray"; the same change is made in1 John 2:26;1 John 3:7; but elsewhere (13 t) both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) render planao by "deceive."
"Deceivableness" (apate), only in2 Thessalonians 2:10, signifies power to deceive, not liability to deception; the Revised Version (British and American) "deceit."
F. K. Farr
Greek
5422. phrenapatao -- todeceive the mind... to
deceive the mind. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: phrenapatao Phonetic
Spelling: (fren-ap-at-ah'-o) Short Definition: I
deceive the mind Definition: I
...1818. exapatao -- to seduce wholly,deceive
... to seduce wholly,deceive. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: exapatao Phonetic
Spelling: (ex-ap-at-ah'-o) Short Definition: Ideceive thoroughly Definition...
538. apatao -- todeceive
... todeceive. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apatao Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-at-ah'-o) Short Definition: Ideceive, lead into error Definition: Ideceive...
1387. dolioo -- todeceive
... todeceive. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dolioo Phonetic Spelling:
(dol-ee-o'-o) Short Definition: I act deceitfully,deceive Definition: I act...
4105. planao -- to cause to wander, to wander
... cause to wander, to wander. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: planao Phonetic
Spelling: (plan-ah'-o) Short Definition: I lead astray,deceive Definition: I...
3884. paralogizomai -- to miscalculate, to reason falsely
... reason falsely. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: paralogizomai Phonetic Spelling:
(par-al-og-id'-zom-ahee) Short Definition: Ideceive, beguile Definition...
5574. pseudomai -- to lie
... to lie. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: pseudomai Phonetic Spelling:
(psyoo'-dom-ahee) Short Definition: I lie Definition: Ideceive, lie, speak falsely....
1748. enedreuo -- to lie in wait for, to plot
... Speech: Verb Transliteration: enedreuo Phonetic Spelling: (en-ed-ryoo'-o) Short
Definition: I lie in wait for, seek to entrap, defraud,deceive Definition: I...
1388. dolos -- a bait, fig. craft, deceit
... 1388 ("deceit motivated by ") uses to snare (deceive) people which implies to
exploit the naive (undiscerning) -- them through (with) their ....
539. apate -- deceit
... Cognate: 539 -- a false impression, made todeceive or cheat -- ie deceit motivated
by guile and treachery (trickery, fraud). See 538 ()....
Strong's Hebrew
3584. kachash -- to disappoint,deceive, fail, grow lean... kachash. 3585 . to disappoint,
deceive, fail, grow lean. Transliteration: kachash
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-khash') Short Definition: deny. Word Origin a prim.
...7952. shalah --deceive, be negligent
... 7951, 7952. shalah. 7953 .deceive, be negligent. Transliteration: shalah Phonetic
Spelling: (shaw-law') Short Definition:deceive....deceive, be negligent...
5378. nasha -- to beguile,deceive
... 5377, 5378. nasha. 5379 . to beguile,deceive. Transliteration: nasha Phonetic
Spelling: (naw-shaw') Short Definition:deceive. Word Origin a prim....
2048. hathal -- todeceive, mock
... todeceive, mock. Transliteration: hathal Phonetic Spelling: (haw-thal') Short
Definition: mocked.... root Definition todeceive, mock NASB Word Usage mocked (1)....
8524. talal -- to mock,deceive, trifle with
... 8523, 8524. talal. 8525 . to mock,deceive, trifle with. Transliteration: talal
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-lal') Short Definition: deceived. Word Origin a prim...
8591. ta'a' -- to mock
ta'a'. 8590, 8591. ta'a'. 8591a . to mock. Transliteration: ta'a' Phonetic
Spelling: (taw-ah') Short Definition:deceive.deceive, misuse...
5377. nasha -- to lend on interest, be a creditor
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to lend on interest, be a creditor NASB Word
Usage debt (1), debtor (1),deceive (1), exacting (1), made (2)....
1589. ganab -- to steal
... root Definition to steal NASB Word Usage actually stolen (1), brought to me stealthily
(1), carries away (1),deceive (1), deceived (1), deceiving (1), fact...
6601. pathah -- to be spacious, wide or open
... allure,deceive, enlarge, entice, flatter, persuade, silly one A primitive
root; to open, ie Be (causatively, make) roomy; usually...
6231. ashaq -- to oppress, wrong, extort
... 2), rages (1), rob (1). get deceitfully,deceive, defraud, drink up, use
oppression do violence wrong. A primitive root (compare...
Library
TheyDeceive, Instead of Healing.
... Chapter XVIII."TheyDeceive, Instead of Healing. But medicine and everything
included in it is an invention of the same kind....
Pelagius' Attempt toDeceive the Apostolic See; He Inverts the...
... Book II. On Original Sin. Chapter 19."Pelagius' Attempt toDeceive the
Apostolic See; He Inverts the Bearings of the Controversy....
But OthersDeceive Themselves by Fancying that they Can Retain the...
... Canon V. But othersdeceive themselves by fancying that they can retain
the property of others which? But othersdeceive themselves...
Let no oneDeceive Himself, nor Put Forward the Pretext of Having...
... Canon IV. Let no onedeceive himself, nor put forward the pretext of having
found such property.? Let no onedeceive himself, nor...
That not Only Humble but Also True is that Voice of the Saints...
... Canon CXIV. (Greek cxv.) That not only humble but also true is that voice of the
Saints: "If we say that we have no sin wedeceive ourselves."....
"If we Say that we have no Sin, weDeceive Ourselves, and the...
... I. and II. Sermon XVI. "If we say that we have no sin, wedeceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.". 1 John 1:8.""If we say...
Secundianus of Thambei Said: "We Ought not toDeceive Heretics by...
... Book VII. Chapter 44. " 86. Secundianus of Thambei said: "We ought
not todeceive heretics by our too? "86. Secundianus of...
Pelagius Deceived the Council in Palestine, but was Unable to...
... Book II. On Original Sin. Chapter 9 [VIII.]"Pelagius Deceived the Council
in Palestine, But Was Unable toDeceive the Church at Rome....
On the Opposing Powers.
... on His left. And the Lord said, Who willdeceive Achab king of Israel,
that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said...
The Binding of Satan.
... the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss,
and shut him up, and set a seal over him, that he shoulddeceive the nations...
Thesaurus
Deceive (48 Occurrences)... by deception. 3. (vt) To deprive by fraud or stealth; to defraud. Int. Standard
Bible Encyclopedia. DECEIVABLENESS;
DECEIVE. de-sev
...Beguile (10 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To delude by guile, artifice, or craft;
todeceive or impose on, as by a false statement; to lure....
Deceivableness (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) Liability to be deceived or misled; as, the deceivableness of a child.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. DECEIVABLENESS;DECEIVE....
Deceiving (18 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) ofDeceive. Multi-Version Concordance... (WEY DBY YLT). 1 John 1:8 If we say
that we have no sin, wedeceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us....
False.
... 3. (superl.) Not according with truth or reality; not true; fitted or likely
todeceive or disappoint; as, a false statement. 4. (superl...
Mock (43 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To treat with scorn or contempt; to deride. 3. (vt) To disappoint the
hopes of; todeceive; to tantalize; as, to mock expectation....
Deceived (55 Occurrences)
... (imp. & pp) ofDeceive. Multi-Version Concordance... (YLT). Psalms 78:36 And -- they
deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him, (See NAS)....
Trustest (8 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 19:10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy
God in whom thou trustestdeceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be...
Reliest (6 Occurrences)
... (DBY). 2 Kings 19:10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah saying: Let not
thy God, upon whom thou reliest,deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be...
Deceives (14 Occurrences)
... See NAS). Job 13:9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives
a man, will youdeceive him? (WEB NAS RSV). Proverbs...
Resources
Why did God use a lying spirit to deceive Ahab? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about self-deception? | GotQuestions.orgHow can I detect a false conversion? | GotQuestions.orgDeceive: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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